Getting Started
On December 28th my family headed the call to GO and found ourselves in West Texas. We moved from the rolling hills of Northern Missouri, only a few hours from our families, and drove 14 hours to the flat plains of Seminole TX. God has an amazing way of calling us, taking us out of our comfort zone, shaking us up, and putting us where He desires to use us the most. When Lisa and I first started talking about God's call into the ministry in 2000, one of the most important conversations we had was always being obedient to what He would have us to do and where He would have us to go. We have moved from Kentucky back to Missouri and now out to Texas. All along the way we have seen His hand at work and like Paul there is only room to boast in the cross.
My desire as a husband, father, and pastor is to love, lead and feed my family and the body of Christ equipping them (as Paul discusses in Ephesians 4) to do the work of ministry. As a pastor I fail when I am not leading others to do the work and equipping them to do it. As a father I fail when I do not raise my children up in the Lord equipping them to GO and do the work of ministry. As a husband I fail when I do not lead the household and love my wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5). The simplicity of what I do is:
1. Loving the body of Christ, my wife, and my children and teaching them to do the same. The great commandment found in Mark 12:29-31 calls for our love to be placed firmly on God and then manifested to others around us through the Holy Spirit that indwells us. Throughout scripture we find the Biblical evidence for God's love and the call for that same love to be given back to Him through daily worship and then to others around us. I am constantly amazed at how God uses us, sinners saved by grace, to show His indelible grace to a lost world.
2. Leading. What more can be said than this. Leaders must constantly be learning and reading, growing in Christ and above all equipping others to do the work of ministry. Leaders are not managers and they are not power hungry people looking to make their place. Leaders are above all else longing to see more leaders come around them and establishing them to do the work God has called them to. Read Exodus 18 to find the pitfalls of leaders trying to lead alone.
3. Feeding. Of all of the aforementioned things this is the most important. As pastor I must feed the flock the Word of God. One of my most cherished times is behind the pulpit teaching the truth of God's word. The desire of my heart is to preach the cross, Christ - Him crucified and risen. To summarize Charles Spurgeon we must preach Christ or go home. As pastor I too must dine daily on the word lest I try and lead others to a place I am unwilling to go myself. We must dine daily alone and together as the body that we might bear fruit for Christ our King and imitate Him. (Galatians 5:15-26, Ephesians 5:1)
I will expound on these in coming days and look forward to God using this blog in my own life to challenge me to grow deeper and closer to Him each and every day.
My desire as a husband, father, and pastor is to love, lead and feed my family and the body of Christ equipping them (as Paul discusses in Ephesians 4) to do the work of ministry. As a pastor I fail when I am not leading others to do the work and equipping them to do it. As a father I fail when I do not raise my children up in the Lord equipping them to GO and do the work of ministry. As a husband I fail when I do not lead the household and love my wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5). The simplicity of what I do is:
1. Loving the body of Christ, my wife, and my children and teaching them to do the same. The great commandment found in Mark 12:29-31 calls for our love to be placed firmly on God and then manifested to others around us through the Holy Spirit that indwells us. Throughout scripture we find the Biblical evidence for God's love and the call for that same love to be given back to Him through daily worship and then to others around us. I am constantly amazed at how God uses us, sinners saved by grace, to show His indelible grace to a lost world.
2. Leading. What more can be said than this. Leaders must constantly be learning and reading, growing in Christ and above all equipping others to do the work of ministry. Leaders are not managers and they are not power hungry people looking to make their place. Leaders are above all else longing to see more leaders come around them and establishing them to do the work God has called them to. Read Exodus 18 to find the pitfalls of leaders trying to lead alone.
3. Feeding. Of all of the aforementioned things this is the most important. As pastor I must feed the flock the Word of God. One of my most cherished times is behind the pulpit teaching the truth of God's word. The desire of my heart is to preach the cross, Christ - Him crucified and risen. To summarize Charles Spurgeon we must preach Christ or go home. As pastor I too must dine daily on the word lest I try and lead others to a place I am unwilling to go myself. We must dine daily alone and together as the body that we might bear fruit for Christ our King and imitate Him. (Galatians 5:15-26, Ephesians 5:1)
I will expound on these in coming days and look forward to God using this blog in my own life to challenge me to grow deeper and closer to Him each and every day.
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